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The Tackle: Welcome Home, Landon Donovan
Noah Davis finds positives in the conclusion of Landon Donovan's loan deal to Everton.
Mar 17, 2010 3:41:00 AM
By Noah Davis
His fallen teammate, David Beckham, stole recent headlines when he ruptured his achilles tendon in A.C. Milan's weekend tilt, but Landon Donovan was in the midst of a transition, as he returned to the United States after a ten-week loan to Everton. During the two-and-a-half month stint across the pond, America's best field player showed he could shine on the pitch among the world's most impressive talents. He raised his stock considerably, destroying a perception he couldn't succeed in Europe that stemmed from previous failed attempts.
As the loan deal drew to a close, the Toffees publicly stated they wanted to keep Donovan and the midfielder also said he wanted to stay. However, his Los Angeles Galaxy club side -- already without Beckham who planned to remain with Milan through the World Cup -- wouldn't acquiesce. And so, Donovan is back in L.A., training with his teammates and awaiting the start of a Major League Soccer season that may or may not occur.
It must be tough for the California Kid, finding his form in England (and feeling the love from Everton's impressive fanbase), only to be shuttled back to America so quickly. In a perfect footballing world, Donovan would stay through the remainder of the EPL season and then return to the Galaxy a conquering hero. In real life, one where teams need to win and put an attractive (read: marketable) product on the field, Bruce Arena and the Galaxy ownership group couldn't allow their star to miss a moment on the field.
And so, the team that owned Donovan understandably got their way and the player -- who, to his credit, always said he would happily return -- didn't. But would staying in England really have been such a good idea?
Actually no, for a number of reasons. Although he might not believe so now, returning Stateside will improve Donovan's game and prime the attacker for the World Cup.
At Everton, the U.S.'s all-time leading scorer succeeded because he wasn't expected to carry the load. He played out wide in David Moyes' system -- the same place he's lined up for Bob Bradley -- but he didn't have to be the primary creator. Donovan certainly made a difference in a number of matches -- tearing up left backs from Arsenal to Chelsea and in between while scoring two goals and tallying a number of assists -- but he could also be carried by the quality of his teammates.
The U.S. doesn't have this luxury. When their offensive catalyst disappears, they lose. For examples, see the USA versus Mexico in Azteca, or against the Netherlands in Amsterdam. Donovan rarely scores in the run of play for the Stars and Stripes, but his distribution has never been better. His teammates, specifically Jozy Altidore, understand how to play off the 27-year-old. The Americans need Donovan to lead them.
So do the Galaxy. The MLS outfit is their captain's team, especially in the absence of Beckham. He's the best player on the pitch night in and night out, so much so that they rely on him a bit too much.
“It was perhaps a fault of ours last year that we sort of depended on Landon a little too much,” Eddie Lewis told Goal.com's Kyle McCarty. “Sometimes, he dug us out of games on his own."
Feeling the constant pressure to perform, knowing the fate of his side rests on his shoulders and his shoulders alone, will be important for Donovan leading up to the World Cup. He needs that pressure. At Everton, he played within the system; on the Galaxy, he is the system.
There's also the matter of injury. The EPL is a rough and tumble league, filled with hard legal challenges and harder illegal ones. Donovan managed to be quick and smart enough to escape the worst punishment -- a trait he's demonstrated throughout his career -- but he was always one Ryan Shawcross or Nigel de Jong tackle from missing out on South Africa.
Of course, MLS features its fair share of bad challenges as well, but referees protect the face of the league and other players respect him in a way they didn't in England. Donovan stands a better chance of staying healthy while in the States.
Which leads into the last point: the impending strike. Chances are that the players will not take the pitch on March 25th. At first glance, not playing could seem to be a bad outcome for Donovan, but in reality, it's not. He's been going non-stop against the toughest competition in the world for more than a year. Donovan would never say as much, but a bit of time away from the game to rest, recuperate, and rehabilitate will help him stay fresh for the World Cup. His body could use a break.
Donovan went to England and exceeded expectations. He returns home a success, ready for his next challenge: The World Cup. He may have wanted to remain a Toffee, but America's the best place for the county's best player to focus on the tasks ahead.
Noah Davis covers the United States Men's National Team for Goal.com and will be reporting from the World Cup in South Africa.
Become a fan of Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page for all the latest news and insight into everything the related to the beautiful game!
As the loan deal drew to a close, the Toffees publicly stated they wanted to keep Donovan and the midfielder also said he wanted to stay. However, his Los Angeles Galaxy club side -- already without Beckham who planned to remain with Milan through the World Cup -- wouldn't acquiesce. And so, Donovan is back in L.A., training with his teammates and awaiting the start of a Major League Soccer season that may or may not occur.
It must be tough for the California Kid, finding his form in England (and feeling the love from Everton's impressive fanbase), only to be shuttled back to America so quickly. In a perfect footballing world, Donovan would stay through the remainder of the EPL season and then return to the Galaxy a conquering hero. In real life, one where teams need to win and put an attractive (read: marketable) product on the field, Bruce Arena and the Galaxy ownership group couldn't allow their star to miss a moment on the field.
And so, the team that owned Donovan understandably got their way and the player -- who, to his credit, always said he would happily return -- didn't. But would staying in England really have been such a good idea?
Actually no, for a number of reasons. Although he might not believe so now, returning Stateside will improve Donovan's game and prime the attacker for the World Cup.
At Everton, the U.S.'s all-time leading scorer succeeded because he wasn't expected to carry the load. He played out wide in David Moyes' system -- the same place he's lined up for Bob Bradley -- but he didn't have to be the primary creator. Donovan certainly made a difference in a number of matches -- tearing up left backs from Arsenal to Chelsea and in between while scoring two goals and tallying a number of assists -- but he could also be carried by the quality of his teammates.
The U.S. doesn't have this luxury. When their offensive catalyst disappears, they lose. For examples, see the USA versus Mexico in Azteca, or against the Netherlands in Amsterdam. Donovan rarely scores in the run of play for the Stars and Stripes, but his distribution has never been better. His teammates, specifically Jozy Altidore, understand how to play off the 27-year-old. The Americans need Donovan to lead them.
So do the Galaxy. The MLS outfit is their captain's team, especially in the absence of Beckham. He's the best player on the pitch night in and night out, so much so that they rely on him a bit too much.
“It was perhaps a fault of ours last year that we sort of depended on Landon a little too much,” Eddie Lewis told Goal.com's Kyle McCarty. “Sometimes, he dug us out of games on his own."
Feeling the constant pressure to perform, knowing the fate of his side rests on his shoulders and his shoulders alone, will be important for Donovan leading up to the World Cup. He needs that pressure. At Everton, he played within the system; on the Galaxy, he is the system.
There's also the matter of injury. The EPL is a rough and tumble league, filled with hard legal challenges and harder illegal ones. Donovan managed to be quick and smart enough to escape the worst punishment -- a trait he's demonstrated throughout his career -- but he was always one Ryan Shawcross or Nigel de Jong tackle from missing out on South Africa.
Of course, MLS features its fair share of bad challenges as well, but referees protect the face of the league and other players respect him in a way they didn't in England. Donovan stands a better chance of staying healthy while in the States.
Which leads into the last point: the impending strike. Chances are that the players will not take the pitch on March 25th. At first glance, not playing could seem to be a bad outcome for Donovan, but in reality, it's not. He's been going non-stop against the toughest competition in the world for more than a year. Donovan would never say as much, but a bit of time away from the game to rest, recuperate, and rehabilitate will help him stay fresh for the World Cup. His body could use a break.
Donovan went to England and exceeded expectations. He returns home a success, ready for his next challenge: The World Cup. He may have wanted to remain a Toffee, but America's the best place for the county's best player to focus on the tasks ahead.
Noah Davis covers the United States Men's National Team for Goal.com and will be reporting from the World Cup in South Africa.
Become a fan of Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page for all the latest news and insight into everything the related to the beautiful game!
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